Transplanter



No. (110,625. Patented Sept. l3, I898.

w 0. 0mm. TRANSPLANTER.

(Application filed Sept. 3, 1897.

(No Model.)

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TPATTNT TRANSPLANTER.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 610,625, dated September 13, 1898. Application filed September 3, 1897. Serial No. 650,455. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. GRIM, of

Venus, in the county of Knox and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transplanters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in transplanters; and the object of the same is to provide an improved device for setting out plants, the same performing its work quickly and without injury to the plant.

The invention consists in providing an improved construction of presser for compressing the soil about the plant after the same has been deposited in the ground.

The invention also consists in the novel details of construction hereinafter fully described, claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a perspective view with the presser raised. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the presser depressed for packing the soil about the plant after the same has been deposited in the ground.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the standard, provided with the handle portion 2 at its upper end and having secured upon opposite sides of its lower end the curved spring-arms 3. These spring-arms carry at their extremities the jaws 4, which in the present instance are rounded and pointed at their lower ends. The tension of the springarms is sufficient to keep the jaws normally closed.

Formed upon the standard 1 is the guideway 5, in which the sliding presser-operating arm 6 is adapted to reciprocate. Upon the upper end of this arm is the handle 7 The head 8 is formed upon the lower end of the arm, and secured therein are the curved spring-arms 9, which are pivoted at their lower ends to the pressers 10. These pressers 10 are formed with the fin gers 11 and the central shovel portion 12.

Adapted to move between the jaws 4 is the plunger-ring 13, which is provided with the flanges 14, projecting beyond the jaws, the pressers being pivoted to these flanges at 15, as illustrated. Formed in the jaws are the longitudinally-extending slots 16, in which the pins 17, projected from opposite sides of the plunger-ring, are adapted to move for the purpose of guiding said ring.

Steps 18 are secured to the spring-arms 9, whereby the plunger-ring and pressers may be operated by the foot of the user. The pressers are formed with the shoulders 19, which abut against the steps when the plunger-ring and pressers are raised, so that a stop is formed to limit the upward movement of the latter.

For limitingthe downward movement of the arms 6 I provide the adjustable stop 20, which is adapted to engage the standards by beinginserted in anyone of the series of perforations 21, and by abutting against the head upon the lower end of the arm the downward movement of the latter is limited.

The stop 22 is movable upward or downward within the slots 16 of the jaws, so that the depth towhich they are forced into the ground may be regulated. A box 23 is socured upon the standard 1 near its upper end for convenience in carryingthe plants which it may be desired to transplant.

The operation of my transplanter is as follows: The operator grasps the handle portion of the standard and raises the operating-arm 6 and the plu nger-rin g and pressers to the position shown in Fig. 1, when the plant is inserted within the jaws, the stem and leaves of the plant projecting through the ring. The jaws are then inserted in the ground by pressing downwardly upon the standard, the depth of the jaws within the ground having been regulated by the stops provided therefor. The standard is then raised, withdrawing the jaws from the ground at the same time the plunger-ring and presser-feet are forced downwardly. The downward movement of the plunger-ring forces the jaws apart to release the plant and at the same time serves to disengage the soil clinging to the plant from the sides of the jaws and prevents any clogging of the jaws by the soil which adheres thereto. At the same time the downward movement of the spring-arms 9 has forced the pressers toward each other, as illustrated in Fig. 2, which carry with them the loose soil and compresses the same about the plant. The shovel portions of the pressers collect the dirt and deposit it about the plant, while the fingers serve to compress the same. The movement of the plunger-ring and the pressers may be accomplished, as before stated, by the foot of theoperator upon the step provided for that purpose.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of jaws, as the same may be of any desired contour without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Actual test has demonstrated the efficiency of my transplanter, the work in hand being quickly and easily accomplished, so that a great number of plants may be set out in a very short time and with but little labor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A transplanter comprising a standard, spring-arms attached thereto, jaws carried by the spring-arms, a ring movable between the jaws for the purpose of separating the same, and means for effecting said movement, substantially as described.

2. A transplanter comprising a standard, jaws secured thereto, an arm adapted to reciprocate upon the standard, spring-arms secured to said reciprocating arm, a ring carried by thelowerends of said arms and adapted to move between the jaws for separating the same, and means for limiting the movement of said ring, substantially as described.

3. A transplanter comprising a standard, spring-arms secured to the standard upon opposite sides thereof, jaws carried by the extremities of said arms and formed with longitudinally-extending slots, an operating-arm adapted to reciprocate upon the standard, spring-arms secured thereto and extending downwardly, a ring carried by the extremities of said arm and adapted to move between the jaws, pins carried by said ring and extending through the slots in the jaws in which they a're'adapted to move, andmeans for the movement of the operating-arm, substantially as described.

4. A transplanter comprising a standard, jaws carried by the lower end thereof, an operating-arm adaptedto reciprocate upon the standard, spring-arms carried by the lower end of said operating -arm and extending downwardly, pressers pivoted to the extremities of said arms, and a ring movable between the jaws and formed with flanges to which the pressers are also pivoted, whereby when the operating-handle is moved downwardly the ring separates the jaws, and at the same time the pressers convey the loose soil about the plant and compress the same, substantially as described.

5. A transplanter comprising a standard, spring-arms secured at its lower end, jaws carried by the extremities of the spring-arms and adapted to be normally held together, said standard formed with a guideway, an arm movable in said guideway, a head formed upon the lower end of the arm, spring-arms secured within the head, pressers eccentrically pivoted to the extremities of the arms, said pressers formed with a shovel portion and pressing-fingers, a ring movable between the jaws and adapted to separate the same when moved downwardly, said pressers also pivoted to the ring, whereby the movement of the ring and pressers is simultaneous, and steps carried by the spring-arms adapted to receive the foot of the operator for operating the ring and pressers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM D. GRIM.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM HAZEN, CHARLIE GRIM. 

